Post-Truth Populism and Scientific Expertise: Climate and Covid Policies from Trump to Biden

Abstract

Donald Trump’s presidency was a wild ride for the American public. His populist attempt to turn American politics on its head was anti-democratic, anti-media, racist, and anti-science. Waging “war on truth,” Trump sought to fundamentally turn the political system toward the contemporary variant of right-wing conservativism. Despite losing the 2020 election, his populist “post-truth” politics is still very much alive and threatens to have a lasting effect on American politics. It is today impo...